"The Miracle of the Gaderene Swine" by Riviere‘Legion’: A Poem by M.D. Skeen The Society August 4, 2025 Culture, Poetry 2 Comments . Legion Hello there friend, our name is Legion We are those same 6000 demons Who long ago in Gerasenes Became a man’s mental disease. We took a normal happy child And turned him feral, naked, wild, Drove him to live amongst the tombs With open sores, infected wounds, Covered in cob-webs, dust, and ash, Thrown to the ground to writhe and thrash And roll around over the stones Which covered rotten flesh and bones, Gave him the strength to break his chains While we were squirming in his brains. For years that poor man lived in squalor Where he would gibber, howl, and holler Till one day through a storm at sea There came some men from Galilee. Approaching us with flashing eyes The Lord saw through our thin disguise. Despite our vast majority He spoke with such authority That, our position perilous, We begged him not to torture us, But rather cast us in a herd Of pigs, I know, it seems absurd. He sent us shrieking to the swine Which ran down to the frothing brine And plunging in the foaming waves We left the mad man of the graves, Who blinking, sanely, dressed and raised His voice to sing the Savior’s praise. 2,000 years to convalesce, We seek new victims to possess Be on your guard and always pray We don’t decide to come your way. . . M.D. Skeen works as an attorney in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 2 Responses Roy Eugene Peterson August 4, 2025 What a great poem from one of the more memorable stories in the Bible. The plural personification was an outstanding way to present this story and then to bring it into present times with a warning I felt was admirably alarming. Reply Martin Briggs August 4, 2025 I really enjoyed this. It retells the story convincingly, but then the two chilling final couplets take it a step further. Very clever. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ
Roy Eugene Peterson August 4, 2025 What a great poem from one of the more memorable stories in the Bible. The plural personification was an outstanding way to present this story and then to bring it into present times with a warning I felt was admirably alarming. Reply
Martin Briggs August 4, 2025 I really enjoyed this. It retells the story convincingly, but then the two chilling final couplets take it a step further. Very clever. Reply